


Lost Demigods

by 50tabsoffanfiction



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura is daughter of Bellona, Gen, Hunk is son of Hepheastus, I forgot to mention the food fight from chapter 1 is important, I have a thing about making Keith suffer, Keith is son of Mars, Lance is son of Aphrodite, M/M, Nyma and Rolo show up, Percy Jackson AU, Pidge is a descendent, Shiro is son of Zeus, keep it in mind, keith is foster kid, more tags will be up with chapters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-10-07 07:27:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10355214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/50tabsoffanfiction/pseuds/50tabsoffanfiction
Summary: Just your average demigod voltron auOur paladins are sons and daughters of ancient roman and greek gods...Aliens are roman demigods while humans are greek. Shiro has to deal with Heracles' tasks because the monsters previous son of Zeus had dealt with have risen again, but during his fight he goes MIA, and so the gang gathers around to find him... Meanwhile at Camp Jupiter one of the preators wants to make an empire again





	1. Prolouge part 1

**Author's Note:**

> me *has unfinished fics people want me to continue* *dying from stress and school work* *starts another fic*

Keith had a feeling that he was the unluckiest guy in the whole universe. If somebody asked him when his life turned into such a mess, he would look them in the eye and, with most deadpan voice, say, _”Since the day I was born."_

Growing up, Keith was used to moving around and not having constant parental figures. He was used to calling his foster parents by their names, not mom and dad. For all he knew, he never had a mom or a dad. He couldn't remember his birth parents. 

Keith was used to visits from random social workers, so at this point he didn't even bother trying to remember their names. Keith and his foster siblings were sitting at the kitchen table, with Mr. Social Worker across from them. Keith had come to see social workers as a type of travel agent; Always stopping by to move kids around homes. 

Keith never felt comfortable around them, but this particular social worker was making him feel really nervous. Keith glanced at his foster siblings, trying to check how they were doing. He wasn't the oldest kid in the household, but Keith had spent the most time in the foster system. 

Sabrina was ten years old, which was ironic to Keith, as he'd been in the foster system for as long as she'd been alive. At the moment, she was drinking a juice box and looking at her feet. She was new to this, having been in the system for only a few months. 

Mateo, only a month older than Keith, was biting his nails. He was terrified. Keith felt sympathy for the boy. Mateo was in and out of the system, mostly because his own family was troubled (in the eyes of the law, at least). He was back in the system again since his dad got arrested, and his mom was deemed unfit to take care of him. 

Lukas, the oldest, was looking directly at Mr. Social Worker. Lukas had been in the system for almost four years, the anniversary being right around his fifteenth birthday. 

Keith, having spent a decade in the foster care system, knew how this meeting was probably going to go. Mr. Social Worker would ask them all about how they spend their days, what they usually eat, and other dumb questions like that. Then he would write something down, give the kids a big smile, and say something like, "That wasn't hard, was it?" Or some stupid thing like that. After that, Patricia and Roger would come in and look worried, as if the children had been talking shit about them. In the end, it was up to Mr. Social Worker's assessment, whether Patricia and Roger were fit to take care of all four foster children they were in charge of or not. 

However, something was still unsettling about this social worker. Keith just couldn't put his finger on it. Mr. Social Worker was colder than other social workers that Keith had met, and he kept looking at the kids with hungry eyes. Keith noticed that Mr. Social Worker had been eyeing him more closely than his foster siblings. His mind started wandering to the food fight incident a few days ago. The one that got him expelled, and the one that was most likely the reason for this visit. He wanted to sink into his chair. It took Lukas elbowing him for Keith to realize that Mr. Social Worker had asked him a question. 

"What?" Keith asked. 

"You've been expelled recently," Mr. Social Worker said, as if the fact amused him. Keith squirmed in his chair. It felt like it suddenly turned into most uncomfortable seating imaginable. 

"How do you plan on finishing your education?" Mr. Social Worker continued. 

Keith looked at his lap and mumbled softly. Sabrina loudly slurped her juice box. Time seemed to slow. Keith felt ashamed and weak. 

"This is, what, the fourth school you've been expelled from?" The way Mr. Social Worker spoke made it sound like he was setting up a joke rather than a question.

"You need to learn to control your temper, Keith Kogane." 

Keith felt more than ashamed, he felt exposed. He could feel Mateo, Lukas, and Sabrina watching him. He knew their eyes were filled with pity. This wasn't the first time someone had pity for Keith. He hated it. 

"Mateo Rivera," Mr. Social Worker switched kids, and Keith could see a subtle change in the man. He looked more monstrous. His eyes were ravenous, his smile was wicked. It was as if he was playing with the children, and waiting for the perfect time to strike. 

"I talked to your sister. She was unable to get the judge to sign your adoption papers." 

Keith looked at Mateo, who had paled. Mateo, like Keith, had gotten in trouble with school this month. Mateo might not have been expelled, but he was suspended. Keith wanted to regret the food fight he caused, but he couldn't. Not when he got to embarrass the kids who were picking on Mateo and Sabrina. Thankfully, Sabrina wasn't in the cafeteria at the time and didn't get in trouble.

"I'm afraid Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey can't take care of four kids simultaneously. I mean, half of you received disciplinary actions and got kicked out of school. You do understand what will happen after this meeting, right?" Mr. Social Worker closed his notebook. "We already found a spot in an orphanage with another foster family." 

Keith clenched his fist, trying to imagine how good it would feel to punch Mr. Social Worker in the jaw. Mr. Social Worker stood up and opened the kitchen door. Patrica and Roger were standing outside, looking between the children and Mr. Social Worker. 

"I'll give you two boys time to pack and say goodbyes," Mr. Social Worker said, grinning. Keith wanted to dislocate his jaw so badly. 

"About half an hour? How's that sound?" 

Mateo nodded. Keith didn't trust his body, so he didn't move until Mr. Social Worker was out of the room. Once he'd left, Patrica came into the kitchen. Despite the fact that Mr. Social Worker didn't threaten her future, she looked scared. 

"My boys!" Her eyes were teary. Out of all the foster mothers Keith had had in his life, he liked Patrica the most. She opened her arms to hug Keith and Mateo, then hesitated. It was known that neither Keith nor Mateo liked being hugged. Mateo, who had started crying as soon as Mr. Social Worker left, ran into Patrica's arms. 

"Keith." Sabrina looked up at Keith. Her lower lip was quivering. Keith's heart broke. Keith had bonded most with Sabrina. After losing her parents she had isolated herself from the world, but Keith found common ground with her, being an orphan also. She was like his little sister, he would do anything for her. 

He wrapped his arms around her. Keith buried his head into her hair. She cried onto his shirt, gripping him tightly.

"Roger, can help you boys pack,“ Patrica said, still holding Mateo. "Can I make you some sandwiches for the road?" She asked as she wiped Mateo's tears away. 

Mateo nodded, reluctantly letting go of Patrica. Sabrina let go of Keith, and wiped her own tears with her sleeve. "I'm gonna miss you, Keith." 

Keith smiled as he ruffled her hair. "Learn to aim better, then." 

She softly punched him in the chest. Her cheeks and eyes were red from crying,  but at least now she was smiling. 

It didn't take long for Keith to gather all of his belongings. He had a few shirts, two pairs of pants if you count the one he's wearing, and a few pairs of socks and underwear. Keith also had a hunting knife, although he couldn't quite remember how he got it. He felt a strong pull of rightness towards the knife. It had a double edged blade and a leather handle. A wild boar was etched on the handle. The knife held many unanswered questions for Keith. 

Once he was done packing, Keith met Mateo at the steps. 

"Are you going to be okay?" Mateo asked, holding his bag close to him.

"As okay as I'll ever be," Keith responded. He looked at Mateo. He felt guilty for starting that stupid food fight that caused Mateo more trouble than pleasure. The useless pleasure of seeing his bullies humiliated. "Mat. I'm sorry for-"

"Don't be," Mateo said, cutting Keith off.

"But, we're- who knows how your next foster family will treat you? And it's my fault for getting us in trouble." 

"You're the one you should be worried about. If everything goes right, my sister will get me out." Mateo paused for a brief moment. "I hope you find your family, Keith. I really do." 

Keith bitterly smiled. He knew his chances of being adopted were getting slimmer with each passing year. He was twelve, and teenagers almost never get adopted. Those who do get adopted are considered a miracle. A legend. A mythical hero. Keith was none of those things. He was an orphan, with no past to go back to, and no future to look forward to. The only thing keeping him on his feet was his survival instinct. 

Speaking of which, as soon as he saw Mr. Social Worker grinning at them, Keith's survival instinct kicked in. Every part of his body was telling him to run. To hide. 

Patrica was holding onto Lukas, as if he was anchoring her to reality. Keith was going to miss her. Lukas looked as if he was trying to memorize the boys who were walking away. Roger was talking to Mr. Social worker. Sabrina ran from behind Patricia to Keith and Mateo. 

"Don't go!" She looked terrified. She glanced at Mr. Social Worker then back at Keith and Mateo. "Please don't go with him!" 

"We don't have a choice in this, sorellina," Mateo said, taking Sabrina's hand. 

"Stay awesome, Sabrina," Keith said, and they left. 

In the car, Keith felt trapped. It was a very expensive cage where Keith felt powerless. The two boys sat in the backseat while Mr Social Worker drove his luxurious moving prison. Patrica had made sandwiches and packed a few bags of junk food, as a snack for both Mateo and Keith. Mateo had already opened his bag of chips, not caring if he left crumbs on Mr. Social Worker's car seats and floor. Keith stared at the rear view mirror, closely observing the reflection of Mr. Social Worker's eyes. There was something unnatural about them. Something sinister. 

"So, which one of you is it?" Mr. Social Worker's voice was cold, raspy and something else that Keith couldn't identify, but it made him shiver. 

Mateo choked on his chips. Keith felt a sudden urge to open the car door, he didn't care that the car was in motion. As soon as the thought occurred to him, he remembered that Mr. Social Worker had locked all the doors the moment Keith and Mateo had strapped down their seat-belts. Keith felt sick. 

"Keith Kogane? Or Mateo Rivera?" Mr. Social Worker asked, like he was debating what to get from a fast food menu. Keith glanced from his feet to his bag. His hunting knife was in there somewhere. Somewhere deeply buried in his clothes. Even if he could get it out in time, before Mr. Social Worker decides to turn towards Mateo and him, there was no way he could stop Mr. Social Worker from harming them both while being strapped down to his seat. 

Keith looked at Mateo, who had a confused and scared look on his face. Keith didn't feel confused. He was scared, yes, but he wasn't confused. He had a feeling he knew what Mr. Social Worker was talking about, like when the teacher references something you had learned before and forgotten, but you knew it was familiar. You were sure you knew it at some point. 

The car was silent for a while, until Keith noticed what was so sinister about Mr. Social Worker's eyes. They were pitch black. Keith felt as if he was looking into his death. 

"If no one's going to answer me, I guess I'll have to kill you both."

At these words, Keith grabbed for his bag. He needed to protect Mateo and himself from who or whatever this thing was that was driving them. 

"Excuse me?" Mateo bravely squeaked. Keith hurriedly searched for his knife and kept his eyes firm on the rear view mirror. Those eyes were watching the boys. Keith didn't like how cold and dark the stare felt. Mr. Social Worker hit the brakes, and the car behind them barely avoided hitting them. Keith dropped his bag from the sudden stop. He went to reach for it. 

"One of you has strong divine blood. The other is fated for divine things." Mr Social Worker turned towards them, and Keith's breath hitched. His dark skin looked as though it was made out of scales. Keith gripped the handle of his hunting knife, still hiding it inside of his bag. Mateo squeaked and scrambled to unfasten his seat-belt. 

"You could both grow to be quite pains in my neck. So, like any pests, better to deal with you now rather than later." Mr Social Worker grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. Mateo kicked him in the jaw, giving Keith enough time to undo his own seat belt. 

"That wasn't such a smart move," Mr. Social Worker said, massaging his jaw. Before he could strike Mateo, Keith slashed his knife, cutting Mr. Social Worker's hand. Mateo squeezed himself into the front seat, trying to find the unlock button. Keith glared at the monster, daring him to try and hurt Mateo. The monster's eyes flickered with recognition. 

"Found you." 

That sent a chill down Keith's spine. Keith heard the click of the locks. Mateo had unlocked the car. Keith slashed his knife again, cutting the monster's face. Mr. Social Worker seemed to focus solely on Keith, and he was glad for it. Mateo was out of the car. 

"You didn't think that you could hide from me, did you?" The monster crawled  towards Keith. Keith felt his hand trembling. 

"You have no where to run, _puny demigod_. Nowhere to hide. You are left alone." 

Keith was paralysed. He wanted to scoot over closer to the door. He wanted to get away from this monster, but all Keith could do was stare at his eyes. His dark holes. 

 _Demigod_. It took seconds for the word to register into Keith's mind. The word felt familiar, yet dangerous. It felt like it made perfect sense to Keith, which terrified him. He didn't understand what was going on.

"When you die, nobody will even miss you. What a pathetic death that will be." The monster smiled, showing off his sharp teeth, and came forward to attack. Keith gripped his knife tightly and prepared for impact, but before he could do anything a rock hit the passenger's window, breaking the glass and startling both the monster and Keith. Mateo threw another rock, and this time it hit the monster. The monster didn't look too bothered, he just made a tsk sound. 

"Gods I hate children," the monster rumbled.

Keith took his opportunity to exit the car. As soon as he opened the door, however, the monster grabbed his foot. 

"You didn't think you could escape so fast, now did you, little Demigod?"

Keith screamed out of terror. He stabbed the monster in the hand. The monster shouted in pain.

"KEITH!" Mateo yelled. Keith moved his knife, trying to cut the monsters hand off, but the scales slowed him down. Keith wiggled his leg, trying to get it out from the monster's grasp. It took few kicks for monster to let go of Keith. 

Keith hurriedly got out of the car. He could feel his heart racing. Mateo ran towards him.

"Keith, what is that thing?" He asked as the monster came out of the car. Mr. Social Worker's hand was bleeding, but it didn't look like normal blood. Keith was sure this was a monster, but he didn't know what kind. A few hours ago, he was sure that monsters like this didn't exist. These inhuman creatures. 

"I don't know," Keith said as the monster came closer. 

"Now that wasn't very nice of you," the monster growled, showing off the hand that Keith had stabbed. "I can't just let you go after _this_ , now can I?" 

Keith gripped his hunting knife. He felt a surge of confidence and adrenaline kick in. Since Mateo was weaponless, Keith stood between his foster sibling and the monster. The knife felt like an extension of his hand. It was an anchor that was keeping him alive and fighting. 

The monster charged at Keith.

"MATEO, RUN!" Keith yelled as he slashed his knife, defending himself from the monster's attack. 

Mateo hesitated, "I can't leave you!" 

Keith kicked the monster in the knee and ran for Mateo as the monster stumbled. Keith grabbed Mateo's hand and sprinted away from the monster. Keith guided Mateo through a street. Mateo squeaked as they almost got hit by a truck. Keith glanced back to see the monster still following them. Keith looked at Mateo, who was terrified. They had to get away from that thing. He had to get Mateo somewhere safe. 

That somewhere was not the foster system. 

Keith cursed as a car almost hit him, and changed their path. When they finally got across the road, Keith looked back at the monster. He was still following them. The cars didn't seem to be too bothered by his unnatural appearance. Drivers honked and stepped on breaks, trying not to hit the monster with their cars. Some of them even cursed and flipped him off through their open windows. 

Keith didn't understand how people weren't bothered by a scaly, bleeding guy running across a road. 

"Mateo, RUN! Run and don't look back!" Keith warned. 

Mateo shook his head. Keith gritted his teeth, trying to think of his next step. 

"If we split up, the thing will have to choose which one to follow," Keith stated and pointed towards a park. "You run towards the woods, and hide. I'll try to get it to follow me. I have a weapon. Now, GO!" 

Mateo hugged Keith for the last time. 

"Survive," was all Mateo said before he ran off into the direction Keith had showed him.

"Hey, ugly!" Keith taunted the monster,  "Are you going to take shit from a twelve year old?" When he had its attention, he gripped the handle of his knife. Keith waited few seconds, to give Mateo enough time to get away and hide, and ran in opposite direction of the park. In his run, he yelled few taunts to the monster. Insulting its appearance, its mother. Keith used all the lines he heard from his classmates through the years, only tweaking the key words so it would apply to the monster. 

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die, little demigod," the monster said as it got closer. Keith could feel his body getting tired from the running. He couldn't run forever, he knew that. However, he had led the monster far enough for Mateo to stay hidden. Keith faced the monster. The monster was grinning. 

Keith waited as the monster charged. Just before the monster could reach him, Keith ducked. He swept his foot to trip the monster. Once the monster was on the ground, Keith quickly got onto its chest, pinning it down. The unsettling thing about the situation was that the monster was still grinning at Keith, the dark eyes inviting Keith to strike. 

"If you kill me, your scent will only grow stronger." The monster nodded at Keith's hunting knife. "You'll only get more of us coming after you. _Do it_. Do it and your life will be full of pain and suffering." 

Keith stabbed the monster. The monster's dead body started turning into dust. 

When he was finally out of danger, Keith could feel his body ache. His leg, the one that monster grabbed in the car, was bleeding. He ripped up his pants and tied the fabric around the scratches as a makeshift bandage. Keith gasped in pain when he tried to walk. He looked back at the park where Mateo was hiding somewhere. Keith wanted to find him. To make sure Mateo was safe. 

Keith somehow managed to drag his aching body towards the park. He called out Mateo's name, hoping his foster sibling was in earshot. Just as he was about to call out for the third or forth time for Mateo to come out, Keith heard a low growl. It sounded like a pack of dogs. Keith could tell that he was surrounded by them. He was tired. His leg hurt like hell. The last thing he needed was to be attacked by a pack of wild dogs while he was looking for Mateo. 

Keith gritted his teeth. He turned around, and tried to make his body seem bigger. What he saw wasn't a pack of dogs that surrounded him. They were wolves. One of the wolves stepped closer to Keith. This one, Keith thought, is the alpha. The alpha wolf showed its sharp white fangs, and glared at Keith. For some strange reason, Keith felt like he was being tested. He glared back at the alpha, mimicking its expression. 

"You're one powerful demigod." Keith heard a female voice, but he couldn't find who spoke it. He felt uneasy. Last time he heard the term _demigod_ , someone tried to kill him. He gripped his knife, ready to fight for his life again.

"Take it easy child. You have already proved yourself, Keith Kogane." It took Keith a moment to realize the voice was coming from the alpha. 

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" Before he could think how crazy he must be going, Keith asked the alpha wolf. 

"I'm Lupa." The wolf responded. "The wolf goddess. You're a son of a Roman god."

 _I'm definitely going crazy,_ Keith thought. 

The alpha, no, Lupa the wolf goddess, sat in front of Keith. Keith noticed the other wolves followed suit. 

"You must have wondered about your parentage? Out of all the demigods, you must have most questions about them. "

"I don't have parents."

The wolf goddess scoffed, "Of course you have parents. If you didn't you wouldn't exist. Everyone has parents. Even gods have their parents. "

That made Keith shut up. Truthfully, he knew he had come from somewhere, and when he was younger he wondered who his biological parents were. He had since grown out of daydreaming about his famous parents who would come and pick him up. 

"Your father is a god. Your mother was a mortal woman, making you a demigod. A child of a divine and mortal parents." Lupa watched Keith's reaction. Keith walked backwards into a tree and slid down to a crouch. This whole day was weird beyond compare.

Being told about his parents filled Keith with cold water. His six year old self had had many questions about his parents. _Did they love him? Were they proud of him? Why did they leave Keith by himself?  Will he see them again?_ He was told his mother was dead, and nobody knew who his dad was. Now, a wolf goddess was telling him that his dad is a god. An ancient roman god. 

"Which god?" Keith asked, still trying to process what he was being told.

"Your father will claim you when you are ready. When you find the camp for those like you. Camp Jupiter." 

Lupa then explained how this camp Jupiter was a safe haven for demigods like Keith. She told him to go west and search for the camp borders. 

"Wait. What about Mateo? " Keith asked when Lupa started explaining how the camp was mortal proofed. Some kind of mist that blocked mortals from seeing the divine mythical world by disguising it as something their eyes could understand.

"Your foster sibling has already chosen a path. Now you must choose one for yourself,” Lupa said. "Will you go to camp, go to safety, or will you wander the mortal world until a monster comes and kills you?"


	2. Prolouge part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In his search for safe haven Keith stumbles into a monsters den

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So originally previous chapter and this should have been one chapter, but i had to cut it down because of the length

Between death and safety, Keith chose safety. In retrospect, it looked like as if he chose an even more painful death. 

He had stayed with wolf goddess until his leg healed enough for the journey to camp. He hadn't travelled long before he stumbled into monsters. He was familiar with fighting them now. 

" _You were lucky with that daemon,"_ Lupa had told him, _"but you can not survive only on luck."_

Keith ducked out of the way from a fire ball. He cursed. He was definitely not lucky. 

" _You need to know your enemy_ ," Lupa had told him, " _find their weaknesses and use them against your opponents._ "

From what Keith could gather, Mr. Daemon, the social worker, was nothing compared to Keith's current opponent. This monster was huge. He felt that he knew the name of it, but he couldn't quite place it. It was as if each time he managed to visualise the name, the monster would snap at him, giving Keith little to no time to get the name out. His only weapon was that hunting knife, which caused more trouble than comfort at the moment. 

It took a lot of running and dodging to fight a monster with nine heads. Heads that could kill Keith in variety of ways. 

When he finally cut one head off, Keith thought he was definitely the world's unluckiest demigod. From the neck where he had cut the head off, the monster grew two more. So at this point, Keith could only hide and hope the ten headed monster would just go away. 

The monster still found him. Snapping its mouths, blowing fire. Keith wanted to go ask the Roman god of luck what he did to deserve this, and hid again. When he saw another head coming towards his hiding spot, Keith was too exhausted to fight. He had no idea how to defeat this thing. He couldn't remember the name of it, even if he had a feeling that he knew it. Not to mention, he couldn't get close enough to find it's weakness. 

 _So is this how I die?_  Keith thought. He raised his hunting knife. If he was going to be this thing's dinner, might as well give it a sore throat. 

What Keith didn't expect was an arrow flying past him, hitting the monster in the eye. Keith turned around to see who had came to his rescue. He found a boy, few years older than him, in an orange tshirt. 

The boy was built like a warrior. Broad shoulders and defined muscles. His dark hair was cut in stylish undercut. He was obviously a demigod, like Keith. There was powerful aura surrounding him.

"Bullseye!" The boy said as he strapped the bow over his shoulder. He approached Keith and yanked him away from the monster. 

"Kid, are you okay?" 

Keith nodded. Now that he was closer, Keith noticed the boy's dark grey eyes. They were like thunder clouds. 

"What are you thinking? Charging Hydra by yourself?" The boy asked in a tone Keith had never heard anyone use on him. It was the same tone Keith heard older siblings use on younger ones when they've done something stupid. 

All Keith could say, however, was, "THAT'S WHAT THAT THING IS!" Almost like he remembered the name of a cartoon he used to watch in his childhood.  

The boy only smiled, like Keith's reaction amused him. His expression quickly changed when he looked behind Keith. 

"DUCK!" The boy yelled as he pulled Keith down. A flaming ball of fire barely missed both boys. 

"Who are you?" Keith asked. 

"I'm Shiro," the boy said as he produced a sword from nowhere. Shiro looked over at Keith.

"How are you at archery?"  

Keith shook his head. "Never held a bow in my life." 

Shiro observed Hydra. His eyes were moving from one head to the other. "We have to find a way to burn it's necks before it grows more heads." 

Ten heads. That's how many they had to cut off. "Do you have any idea how can we do that?" Keith asked. 

"I'm thinking." Shiro searched his pockets and produced a lighter. "Maybe we can distract nine of the heads at the same time while we cut and burn one, then rinse and repeat until we get to the middle one." 

That wasn't as concrete as Keith hoped it was going to be, but one thing struck him. "Middle one?" 

"That's the immortal one." 

That wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. Immortal head. Meaning no matter what they did, this monster couldn't die. That wasn't the only thing that made no sense, however. Shiro gave Keith the lighter. 

"You burn the necks, I'll try to distract it and cut the heads." 

Keith felt as if he was given a newborn infant to hold, not a lighter. It felt heavy with responsibility. "I. What?" 

"You deal with the necks. I cut and distract the heads. Easy." Keith didn't think that was easy, to him the plan sounded like, _'I will go and try not to die as ten heads try to kill me, while you make sure the head count doesn't rise, making both our jobs more dangerous and far more deadly'._

"It really sounds like you thought that through."

"Light the arrow heads with the lighter and aim for the necks." Shiro gave Keith an unreassuring smile, handing the younger demigod his bow and quiver. 

"Let's kick Red Skull's butt, Bucky," Shiro said, then he leaped into action.

"MY NAME IS NOT BUCKY!" Keith yelled after him. "IT'S KEITH!" 

Keith hesitated with the bow, mainly because he didn't know how to hold it properly. He waited for Shiro to cut one head and to avert the others from Keith, and in turn he'd stab the neck with flaming arrow head. 

The second time he had done that, he was almost too late. The neck already started sprouting two heads. The third time Shiro had cut off a head, Keith was too far away to stab its neck, so he fired a flaming arrow. The arrow didn't fly long before it almost hit Shiro and completely missed the neck he was aiming at. Shiro cursed in a language Keith didn't understand. Keith felt as if the arrow had hit him in the chest. He felt stupid for trying to shoot the arrow. 

Hydra had grown more heads. Shiro stumbled away from Hydra. Nine heads. They were back at dealing with nine heads. 

"You okay?" Shiro asked, making Keith feel even guiltier. 

"I- I'm sorry. I tried-" Keith stuttered. 

"We've haven't died yet," Shiro half-smiled. "No need to apologise." 

It took a lot of misses and hits for Keith and Shiro to cut down the head count to four heads. 

That was when a giant crab emerged from who knows where. Keith was surprised and panicked by its appearance, but Shiro seemed more annoyed than anything.

"THE CRAB TOO?" Shiro looked up at the sky and yelled at it as if he was directly talking to someone, "I ALREADY APOLOGISED FOR BEING BORN WHEN I WAS FIGHTING THE LION! CUT ME SOME SLACK!" 

Their jobs became a lot more difficult now that a giant crab was involved. Shiro had tried to take on the crab while still distracting Hydra away from Keith, but that didn't work well. Keith was getting better with aiming. He still couldn't hit his target, but he was getting better at it. He almost hit one of Hydra's noses, while he was aiming for the eye, of course with regular not flaming arrows. The two demigods had to change their strategy when Shiro was cut off from Hydra's attention. 

"YOU GOT THIS!" Shiro yelled over to Keith, while the crab had pinned him to the ground .

 Four heads. That's how many Keith had to fight against. He just hoped he would not make the head count raise again. He refused to cut heads, because he was unsure if he could burn the necks in time, so he waited for Shiro to defeat the crab, while dodging Hydra's attacks. He felt surrounded by the heads. Everywhere he turned Hydra snarled at him. He was face to face with one of the Hydra's head when another aimed fire ball at him. He felt trapped, so he instinctively cut one head and rushed out of the way as the other launched a fireball in his direction. 

The fire hit the neck and cauterized it, and relief shot through Keith. That's when an idea came to him. He looked over to where Shiro was fighting the crab. 

Keith taunted one of the heads that he was sure could blow fire.

"WATCH OUT!" Keith yelled to get other demigod's attention. 

Shiro barely had time to react. In retrospect Keith could've yelled out to Shiro his plan before hand, but he hadn't thought it through yet. When Hydra blew fire, Shiro had only seconds to prepare for it. He stabbed the crab and leapt away from the flames. 

The giant crab was burned to a crisp. After the crab was defeated, Shiro helped Keith with the remaining heads.

Keith was exhausted by the time both monsters were defeated. As Shiro buried the immortal head of Hydra, Keith laid on his back and tried to catch his breath. 

They survived. A few times when Keith had missed his chance to burn a neck, he was sure they were going to die. He was amazed that they didn't. They were still alive. Keith was still breathing. He was still alive.

"Gods, I need a break." Shiro laid on the ground beside Keith. 

Keith looked over to the older demigod. "I can't believe we survived that."

Shiro laughed. "My stepmother won't let me die until all old monsters Hercules fought are back in Tartatus."

Keith jolted up with his realization. "WAIT! You mean to tell me, we just fought _THE HYDRA?_ Like the one Hercules fought?" 

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "What did you think we were fighting? "

"Like, I don't know? A great great great whatever of Hydra?" 

Shiro laughed. "Gods, I wish it were that simple." Shiro supported himself on his elbows. 

"Hey kid, are you hungry?" 

"My name is Keith," Keith said and rolled his eyes. Shiro was only few years older than him, and " _kid_ " implied Shiro thought of him as far younger than that. 

Keith couldn't remember the last time he ate, and his stomach began to rumble. He sighed. 

"...and yes. " 

Shiro took them to McDonald's, promising Keith he could pay for both of them. 

"Besides," he assured Keith, "I've got coupons."  

 They chose to sit down inside, and ate their food in peace. Shiro was the one who broke the silence. 

"Are you having trouble finding the camp?" 

The camp. Keith almost choked on his cola. The fact that Shiro knew about Camp Jupiter made Keith doubt his sanity a little less. 

"How do you know I'm searching for the camp?"

"Well, you're obviously a demigod," Shiro said as he stole few of Keith's fries. "Still, you don't look like you're from camp."

"What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Your fighting style is untrained, and you're too young to be sent on a quest. And usually quests are issued in numbers of three," Shiro quickly explained. 

"Are _you_ on a quest?" 

"Yes." 

"So why are you alone?" 

"Let's just say my stepmother wants me to suffer alone," Shiro said. "It's her way of punishing me for being born." 

"Your quest is to, what? Kill all of monsters Hercules killed in the original myths? How does that work?" 

"You kill a monster. Monster goes to Tartarus. Monster rises from Tartarus after a while, years, decades, if you're lucky centuries. You kill the monster again." Shiro used french fries as visual aids, eating them when he said the word kill. "Circle of life."

"So how long will Hydra stay down?"  

Shiro shrugged. "I'm just hoping Shield won't unfreeze me to fight it again. "  

Keith raised his eyebrows in confusion. Shield what? Why would Shiro be frozen, and how could his shield unfeeze him? Shiro was grinning as if he made a clever joke, when he noticed Keith's confused expression.

"Get it? Hydra? Shield? You know, Captain America." He started explaining. The words only confused Keith more.  

"From Marvel Comics?" 

Keith shook his head. "I've heard of Marvel? Never got a chance to read the comics, though."

"Haven't you seen the movies at least? "

Keith shrugged, "I've been stuck in foster care system. It kinds sucks up your time to find hobbies." 

Keith couldn't read Shiro's face. Shiro looked, Keith thought, really weird. Nobody looked at Keith the way Shiro was  now.  It felt protective. 

"In camp you'll find some breather time between training sessions. When you get there check out cabin 11 or 6. They have good comics." Shiro said. After a moment of quiet, he started to list out in which cabins Keith could find most people who share a hobby. Keith's head spun. He couldn't keep track of all the information he was receiving. 

"Sounds like a fun camp," Keith said after Shiro's brief speech.  

"It really is," Shiro smiled. "Also, once you get there, you should check out the archery field. It's quite a useful skill to have."

The two demigods then talked about their paths. Shiro told Keith he would love to take him to camp himself, but Keith refused the offer. Mainly because Keith didn't want to deal with monsters Shiro must face in his quest. He barely survived Hydra. He was sure he wouldn't want to find himself face to face with another moster Shiro had to face. Shiro had given Keith few bucks for emergency, and the two demigods went their own separate paths. 

Keith spent the money Shiro had given him on a bus fare. He still felt exhausted from his fight with Hydra. Keith didn't even want to think about monsters. He feared even a single thought would tempt fates, and he would find himself in some other fight. 

He was relieved when he saw the Camp borders. It eas exactly the way Lupa had described it to him. 

Two kids were guarding the entrance. They were in full armor. When they saw Keith approaching, they led him in. Keith felt awkward following them arround, since they talked between themselves. He tried not to eavesdrop. Keith looked around himself, and was blown away by how big Camp Jupiter was. 

He felt as if he had jumped in time and was transported into ancient Rome. The only thing that proved he was still in the modern era was the technology that some of the demigods used. One teen had her headphones on as she jogged passed Keith and his guides. She waved at them. 

Keith noticed kids his age and younger sitting around and talking. He was awed by how big the camp was. Even crazier, Camp Jupiter was only a small portion of the demigod haven.  

"The camp is just on the outskirts of New Rome," his guide, Thace, told him, "the real haven. There you can build a safe life. No monsters to worry about." 

"But before that, you need to serve the army." The other guide, Sendak, said as he knocked on his armor.

The two guides then continued their private discussion. From what Keith gathered, they talked about the inner politics of the camp. Keith tried not to eavesdrop, but the way they talked to each other was intriguing. Sendak was praising one of the preators, Zarkon, while Thace would nod and comment back something that encouraged Sendak to talk more. 

Keith averted his eyes, and ears, to his surroundings. Taking in all the beautiful buildings. 

Once they reached the preator hall, Sendak and Thace explained to Keith what he should do and what to avoid. He felt all eyes on him once they entered. Sendak and Thace introduced him to the preators. Keith tried not to look nervous. 

The preator Zarkon Galra, Keith guessed, looked almost reptilian like. He was tall, and still in his armor. The other preator was a girl. She was slim and average hight. Her white hair was tied into a bun, and gave contrast to her dark skin. She wasn't wearing any armor. She wore a purple/white toga over a purple tshirt. She was as intimidating as Zarkon.

"You two are dismissed," Zarkon ordered Thace and Sendak, who both saluted and left Keith alone in front of the preators. 

"Do you know your parentage?" The other preator asked.

"No," Keith said, "but Lupa told me my father will claim me once I reach the camp," he quickly added. He wasn't sure if he was being judged for not knowing who his godly parent was, but it felt like he was. Keith never knew him mortal parent either. He never felt ashamed for being an orphan, but he always felt like he was being judged for that.

It took few minutes for the preators to organise all cohorts and get them to gather around, and introduce Keith to the army. Allura, Keith caught the name of the other preator in passing, spoke to the cohorts, asking for one of them to take Keith in as their own. Keith felt knots in his stomach. Something was off. He just couldn't pin down what was wrong. Once he was placed with a cohort, Keith's feeling of wrongness only grew. 

There were plenty of rumors going around camp about the preators. Keith didn't want to get in trouble, so he just avoided all gossips. Instead he focused on training.

In the week he'd been at camp he learned a few things. One, Allura was badass with swords and hand to hand combat. Two, she and Zarkon didn't get along at all. Three, the augur, Hagar, was creepy girl who liked to freak people out. She also always hung around Zarkon. Not to mention her strange obsession with experiments. Keith wanted to avoid her at all costs. Four, Allura didn't trust the augur.

In a month Keith had been at camp he learned that there was unwritten hierarchy depending on your godly parent. Jupiter was highly respected, so his children held the highest positions in the army (Hagar was a daughter of Jupiter), next on the hierarchy were children of war gods (Zarkon was the son of Mars, and Allura was daughter of Bellona), after them came everyone else. After everyone else on the bottom of the hierarchy came children of Neptune, Pluto and unclaimed. Keith was still unclaimed, and because of his place in the hierarchy he was assigned to do most embarrassing jobs.

During his second month at camp he was done with how his peers treated him. He got into a fight. The fight quickly ended with Keith coming out as victor. The kid deserved ass kicking, and Keith was more than happy to give it to him. 

Once it was done, everyone at camp saluted Keith, the son of Mars. 

Even after he was claimed, Keith felt some kind of wrongness at camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the two part prolouge, now I can start with the story 
> 
> Again thanks to [huethemudluff](https://huethemudluff.tumblr.com/) for editing;  
> Art for this fic is in the works
> 
> Come and follow me on tumblr [dorkofthefandom](https://dorkofthefandom.tumblr.com/)


	3. Capture the Flag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At camp Halfblood...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who survived exam season? I had 3 exams on one day and 4 exams in a day the next week. I enhanced the chapter length a bit... Lance is my son and Hunk deserves more love

"WANNA PUT YOUR FOOT WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS?" As soon as he had said the words, Lance wanted to cringe, but the words were already out. The boy he tried to intimidate laughed. Lance wanted to smack him so hard he would have to eat from a straw for the rest of the summer. Lance knew he wasn't selling his claims that Aphrodite children were smart.

" _My_ foot where _my_ mouth is?" Fred, from Athena cabin laughed so hard he clutched his stomach.

Lance knew he was making a scene. He wanted to make a bigger scene. Draw in as many eyes as possible. From the corner of his eye he could see Hunk and rest of the year round campers organizing a betting pool. Good, Lance thought, this is my chance to embarrass this guy.

"I will put my foot in _your_ mouth if you keep talking shit!" Lance corrected himself.

"I'd like to see you try, pretty boy." Fred crossed his arms.

Lance half smiled. _Fred realized we have an audience_ , Lance smugly thought. _Time to set the bait._

"Capture the flag. Athena vs Aphrodite." Lance declared in front of everyone. He even poked Fred in the chest, as a bonus dramatic effect. He was nothing if not theatrical.

Fred's grin grew as he accepted the challenge. Lance knew he would. Capture the flag was all about strategy, and Fred, as son of Athena, was amazing at it. Lance knew Fred would feel safe to accept the challenge.

"If Aphrodite wins, Athena cabin must clean the stables instead of us."

" _When_ Athena wins, you have to stop making these silly challenges." Fred crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You're only going to embarrass yourself if you keep doing this."

Lance smirked. He extended his hand. "Deal. Let's make this official and swear on river Styx."

Fred studied Lance's hand. The crowed behind them ooooohed. Lance could hear someone from the crowd yell out, "Don't do it!"

He wasn't sure if the person yelled out to him or to Fred, but it really didn't matter. Lance had Fred right where he wanted him. Fred took his hand, and they both swore on river Styx. The crowd parted ways for them after the scene had ended. Lance couldn't wait for next week's capture the flag.

Hunk stepped in front of Lance. Hunk was a big guy who could easily break your bones, but despite his appearance he was the sweetest and most gentle person Lance knew.

"So when you win against Athena, I can split five chocolate bars, eight guard and clean up duties and Billy from Demeter cabin even put her face mask in."

"Hell yeah! I've been eyeing that mask for a week now!"

"But if you lose, she wants your shampoo and conditioner."

"I'm not gonna lose," Lance said with a wave of his hand, "I have a full proof plan. Is Hepheastus backing Aphrodite?"

Hunk smiled and noded, "Always and forever."

The two best friends high fived. Lance knew Hunk since his first year at camp. At first Hunk had been awkawrd around people, and preferred company of machinery. Lance on the other hand had tried to pick a fight with everyone who tried to put him in the Aphrodite child stereotype, so he didn't have friends until Hunk. Hunk and Lance bonded over the fact that they both had a difficult time making friends. The two were known in the camp as a dynamic duo.

Ever since Lance had been claimed, he was put into the stereotype of a conceded, egocentric, dramatic child of Aphrodite that only thinks about romance and looks. He wanted to prove to everyone that he is so much more than a son of the love goddess. He was a good archer (last year he had challenged a daughter of Apollo to an archery contest. She compared Lance to Narcissus, after he had spent an hour getting ready for the archery lesson. Lance won the challenge). He could play a guitar. He was loyal like a dog. He didn't make friends easily, but when he did he would give everything he could to keep that friend safe. Lance was adventurous, and he loved pulling practical jokes. He believed that there is nothing wrong in looking your best, and his personal motto was "I can do everything you can do, and even better, since I can do it while fabulously outshining you."

"Why is pretty boy even an insult?" Lance complained to his best friend as they headed to the lake.

Hunk shrugged and mumbled, "I don't know."

"Pretty boy should not be an insult. Okay, maybe it is, cause I am not a pretty boy. I'm the prettiest boy." Lance shot a finger gun at Hunk with a wink, "right after you."

"Aww, but Lance. You are the most beautiful boy."

"You are the cuddliest boy, Hunk."

"Lance, you blind people with your beauty."

"No, it is you that blinds people. You radiate beauty and sunshine, and warm hugs. Hunk, face it," Lance grabbed Hunk by his arms and looked directly into his dark chocolate eyes, "you are the most beautiful person in this camp."

"And you wonder why we all thought you two were dating?" Lance's cabin mate, Cole, came from behind them. He punched Lance lightly on the shoulder.

"Heard you challenged Athena cabin to capture the flag?"

"Fred was being an ass," Lance said.

"He says he has a plan," Hunk said.

"I get that! But, it would've been nice to get a heads up," Cole pointed to his bubblegum pink hair. "I just dyed it this morning. Now I have to find a cute beanie for the capture the flag."

Hunk snorted, "Pun intended? "

Lance looked at Hunk with a judging stare, but Cole bumped knuckles with him.

"Puns aside," Lance looked from his best friend to his cabin mate. "We are going to wear helmets, so I don't think your hair will be a problem."

"My hair will still be visible," Cole whined, "and we're going to be red team, I checked. It will clash."

"I think I have a red bandana I can lend you," Hunk said, but both sons of Aphrodite ignored his input.

"I have a black beanie you can borrow," Lance said.

Cole pointed his index finger at Lance. "That is why you were unanimously voted as our head counselor," Cole said. Lance smiled as Cole turned and walked off.

Once Cole had left the two of them alone, Lance turned to Hunk. "And Hunk, I am going to wear your red bandana. I need it to complete my outfit."

When they got to the lake they met up with rest of the year round campers.

"Look what the cat dragged in," Andrea, daughter of Iris, said, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was leaning on Laurel, daughter of Tyche. Laurel avoided eye contact, and her brows were furrowed as if she was thinking hard.

"I don't know if you're a genius or an idiot. Challenging cabin 6?" Austin, son of Ares, said, grinning. "I just hope you haven't overestimated yourself again, for your sake."

Lance remembered his challenge against one of the Ares children. He was so angry at Kim, the head counselor of the cabin 5 at the time, for making rude comments about fighting styles of Aphrodite children. He wasn't thinking about his skill in close combat and challenged her to a one on one fight. After her win, she made Lance agree to wear a shirt that said "Kim's personal" with a picture of a dog for a week. He also had to do everything she told him. There was something ironic in his punishment, since Lance's godly given power was charmspeak. Meaning he could get people to do whatever he said.

"Wanna place a bet?" Hunk asked, stepping in front of Lance protectively.

"I'm not a gambler," Austin shrugged.

"This is going to be an interesting match. Feelings versus logic. Brains over heart," Georgia, the camp's oracle, said, illustrating her excitement with her hands. She was the only one at camp without a divine parantage.

Lance smiled. "So can I count on your cabins to back Aphrodite?"

"Iris is on your side." Andrea nudged Laurel with her elbow. Laurel looked at her as if Andrea betrayed her.

"I'm thinking."

"So thats Hepheastus, Iris. Tyche is undetermined. Ares?" Lance asked, pointing at Austin with his palms held together as if he was praying. "For my plan to work, I'll need some muscles."

Austin shrugged. "As much fun as it would be to watch you fail and embarrass yourself, I can get Ares cabin on your side, if you can get us Apollo cabin's lake schedule."

"Can do." Lance snapped his fingers and turned to Laurel. "So?"

"I really want to win," Laurel whined, "but this will be very unpredictable!"

"This is Lance we're talking about," Hunk threw his arm around his best friend, "he is known to win his challenges."

"Not against Ares." Austin almost sang the words.

Lance was tempted to tell him off, but Hunk's arm around his shoulders kept him focused.

"I'll give you my answer after the camp fire."

"Fair enough."

To Lance, camp Halfblood was home away from home. He was brought to the camp a little before the start of summer break at the finish of sixth grade. He'd been claimed on his first night, so the campers immediately placed him under the stereotype that Lance was determined to defy. Lance was blessed with the power of charmspeaking, which made him a powerful demigod. Unusual for a child of Aphrodite.

Lance tried to find some pride in that, but it felt bittersweet. Since he was a powerful demigod, it was too dangerous for him to live outside camp borders. He hadn't seen his mortal family since he'd arrived at camp. Chiron, the camp's director, had informed his family about his whereabouts the best he could.

The campers were sorted by their godly parents into cabins. All twelve Olympians had their own cabins, and a few minor gods had theirs. Some cabins were empty, since the patron god didn't have demigod children, like Artemis and Hera. Zeus had a son, but he went on a quest when Lance arrived at camp.

Takashi Shirogane, son of Zeus, was famous around camp. Everyone looked up to him. He was the best at everything, it appeared he had no faults. When Lance arrived at camp, he wanted to be like Shiro. To be admired by everyone. To not be a running joke. When Shiro was issued a quest, Lance wanted to go on a quest too. He wanted to go outside the camp borders.

"It's not your time," Chiron had told him on multiple occasions.

Lance was the type of person that doesn't take no for an answer. He had to prove himself. Prove that he was worthy of being assigned a quest. Prove that children of Aphrodite are more than people give them credit for. That they can do and be anything.

Since arriving at camp, and discovering just how powerful of a demigod he was, Lance felt conflicted. His charmspeak was the cause of his never returning to his mortal family. It would be too dangerous for them. His ability to bend people to his words made his demigod scent stronger, attracting more monsters. At camp almost nobody knew about Lance's charmspeak ability. He tried to use it as rarely as he could, believing it could go away if he didn't practice it. The only person that knew about it was Hunk.

When they just started becoming friends, Lance noticed a kid constantly nagging Hunk to finish his inventions faster and then complained how badly the gadgets were made. Lance was annoyed by that kid, so he ordered the said kid to shut up, turn around and cool off in the lake. The annoying kid shut up the very same moment Lance ordered them to. Twirled like a ballerina and marched off to the lake, where they took a nose dive.

"What in a jedi mind trick?" Hunk gaped widely at Lance.

Lance tried to change the subject and get Hunk to talk about his projects, but Hunk didn't stop asking about Lance's powers. Hunk did talk about his projects when Lance changed the subject, but every time he had a chance to, Hunk would ask about Lance's ability.

During Lance's second year, and Hunk's third, over the winter break, Lance stopped by the forger's, feeling bored out of his mind.

"These are not the droids you are looking for," Hunk said when Lance started poking at one of the completed inventions of Hunk's.

Lance snorted at the reference and finally told Hunk about his powers.

"So you maxed out your charisma?" Hunk asked after Lance explained how charmspeak works.

"My what?"

"Like in DnD. You get an ability chart. And you maxed out your charisma," Hunk said.

"You big nerd," Lance laughed and lightly punched Hunk in the shoulder. "Yeah, you could say that. And it doesn't work on everyone. Some people are immune to my charms."

"Who could be imune to that face?" Hunk put his hand on his chest, as if he was offended anyone could find Lance not charming enough. "How could anyone?"

And so, it was the day of the capture the flag game, and Lance invited his allied cabins to come to Aphrodite cabin to prepare. He gave a brief speach about how a victory for the red team means a victory for passion, how beauty and brains mix together, and he also slipped an order that everyone put on some beauty product. Ares cabin put red war paint on their cheeks, with a few even stepping a bit further and gelling up their hair or putting on eyeliner. Iris and Tyche did each other's make up, while Hepheastus let Aphrodite cabin to do their make up.

"Stop blinking so much! I am not going to poke your eye out!" Lance said, putting down his brush.

"I'm sorry. It's just," Hunk's hand automatically went to rub his eye, but Lance caught it before he could smudge Lance's work.

"If we are to embarrass Fred, and make him not only take back what he said about make up, but clean the stables forever," Lance said calmly, "I need you to be strong and not smudge my masterpiece."

Hunk nodded and stiffed once more as Lance continued to apply make up to Hunk's face. When Lance was done, he pulled Hunk's chair to face a mirror.

"I look-" Hunk inspected his smokey eyes. The colour Lance used made his brown eyes pop, and complimented his dark skin tone.

"Stunning? Amazing? Hot?" Lance said, leaning on Hunk. "All of the above?"

"All of the above."

Red team looked fabulous as they put on their armor. Lance was proud of them all. He took less time to get ready than he'd expect to. He'd already planned the outfit from the moment he proposed the challenge. Hunk lent him the red bandana. Lance tied it around his head. He wore orange tank top with camp's logo on it and shorts. He looked effortlessly hot. His make up was done by himself. Lance's skin was shining from all the highlighter he applied. He felt confident and ready for the game.

When the teams faced each other outside of the woods, Fred burst out laughing. Lance let him laugh, because he was already practicing his victory dance in his head. Lance made a quick glance at the opposing team.

Apollo cabin looked almost apologetic, but saying that only made Lance cringe. He was hanging around Hunk way too much. Demeter cabin was determined to win, but Lance could only guess that Billy got her cabin hyped about Lance's shampoo. Hermes was split, a few who wanted to see Lance victorious, and the rest that wanted to bury him in dirt. Athena cabin was stoic, and Lance wasn't sure if that was something he should worry about or celebrate

"Try not to break a nail, pretty boy," Fred said, as he and Lance shook hands before the start of the game.

"You know there's this thing called hand lotion," Lance bit back. "It moisturizes your skin. You could use it once in a while. It won't lower your IQ."

And so started the game.

For the games, each person was allowed to carry one magical item and a weapon of their choosing. Lance had his trusty crossbow, and quiver of arrows. Hunk didn't like close combat, and he wasn't confident enough in his archery to use a bow. Though he lacked in combat, Hunk excelled in thinking outside of the box. His magical item, a gift from his father Hepheastus, was a tool belt that could produce anything Hunk might need, as long as it followed some sense of logic.

Lance's plan was working perfectly. Laurel from Tyche and Andrea from Iris were guarding the flag. Ares cabin scattered and caused distractions on the borders. Hepheastus cabin laid down traps, and went to join Ares or Aphrodite cabins. Hunk joined Lance, as he was about to sneak into the blue team's territory. When a few kids from Apollo cabin fought Ares campers, Lance and Hunk went unnoticed.

"I heard Laurel has captured three hostages already," Hunk whispered.

"Good," Lance whispered back.

He stopped and put a hand out to signal that Hunk should stop as well. Hunk did. He look confused at the sudden silence. Lance pointed towards the trees, a few feet up ahead. Two guardians of the blue team stood stiffly, anticipating an attack. Lance gestured for Hunk to go around the guards and wait for his signal there. Hunk nodded and obeyed. Lance waited until Hunk was in the position. He then stepped out of his hidding spot, with his arms raised in surrender.

"Who goes there?" One of the guards pointed a bow and arrow at Lance.

"I'm giving myself up," Lance said as he slowly walked towards the two guards.

"This must be a trap," The other guard said to her friend.

"How could this be a trap? I'm out of arrows. I don't have a magical item," Lance said, hoping his voice was sweet enough for the two guards to believe his story. "And we all know I can't possibly win in close combat one on one, let alone two on one."

"Why would the team leader just give up? Why not hide somewhere if he's out of ammo?" The guard glared Lance, like he was a Trojan horse. "You know that if the leader is captured that brings down morale?"

"I say we take him as a hostage," the guard that had Lance pinned down by bow and arrow said.

"Yes. Take me," Lance put his hands infront of him as if he was being arrested.

"Put the weapon on the ground!" A guard ordered, and Lance obeyed. He placed his crossbow on the ground.

"Kick it over."

Lance did.

"I don't like this," the other guard said as she picked up Lance's crossbow. "He's too calm."

"Am I?" Lance grinned. "Maybe I just like being tied-"

"SHUT UP!" Both guards said at the same time.

"I mean, I could have planned this." Lance shrugged, his hands raised in the air.

The guards exchanged a nervous look. A look that clearly said, "What should we do with him?"

"But then again, I am just a son of Aphrodite." He emphasised his point by knocking on his head. "Knock, knock? Anyone home? Nope, come again later."

"Just tie him to a tree," The one who had a weapon pointed at Lance told her friend.

"Kinky," Lance said, as if he was excited to be chained to a tree. "Just don't tie me to a tree that is already in a relationship. You have no idea how many dryads would ask me for relationship advice. Like, just because I'm son of the love goddess doesn't mean I can tell if their partner is cheating on them or not."

"Can we just leave him weaponless?" The other guard argued. "He's already useless."

"Rude! I'm right here."

Behind the guards Hunk waved the blue flag. Lance kept talking to the guards, making them fight with each other as Hunk went back around them.

"Since my team already has your flag and I am not a hostage yet, I no longer want to turn myself in. And you do not want to chase us," Lance said once Hunk ran into the guards' view.

Then he ran away with his friend. The two guards were stunned. They stood watching their team flag move further away from its pole.

"What took you so long?" Lance yelled as he ran.

"It's not like you had any troubles back there."

"I WAS ALMOST TIED TO A TREE!"

"You say that like you wouldn't have enjoyed it," Hunk teased. "I saw how you were chatting to that bush the other day."

"She wanted to know if her- never mind!" Lance stopped abruptly.

Hunk, who was following Lance's lead, stopped only because he tripped on a root. Lance hid behind a tree. A few feet in front of them, a few campers from Athena cabin patrolled the border.

"Shit," Lance whispered. "I don't have my crossbow."

Hunk pulled a sling shot from his tool belt. "Will this work?"

"Hunk, you big genius!" Lance took the sling shot and few pebbles from the ground.

Lance knew that the pebbles would do absolutely no damage to the enemy team. What they could do was make a distraction, giving the boys enough time to cross the border and win.

To get the blue team's attention, Lance shot a tree near them. The noise of the pebble hitting the trunk startled the blue campers. Lance pulled few more shots, enough for the enemy guards to decide to inspect the rustling.

"Now!" Lance ordered, and Hunk sprinted to the border.

Once Hunk had passed into the red team's territory, a gun shot was heard that ended the game. The blue flag transformed into red one, and the owl on it turned into a hammer and anvil.

"In your FACE, FRED!" Lance cupped his hands to make a makeshift megaphone. "A BOY WEARING MAKE UP WON AGAINST THE SMART SON OF ATHENA! IN A TACTICAL WAR GAME!"

The whole camp celebrated Lance's victory. The people who placed their bets collected. Lance was so hyper, he was moving from one group to another. Sharing the victory high.

"Lance, I'm so proud of you. And you too, Hunk!" Georgia came in to hug them after the game. Lance was proud of himself. He was proud of Hunk.

In the split second after Georgia let go of Hunk and Lance, the whites of her eyes turned green. Lance had seen her go in trance enough times to know that this is how she looks like when she was about to issue a prophecy.

" _Unexpected journey of the runaway; Seek the one who lost their way,_ " Georgia said, but her voice was raspy and foreign. A green smoke was coming out of her mouth as she spoke. " _Reuniting the blood upon chances they'll take; Unknowing bonds made that will not break; Through it all, beware the smile that's fake; Lest the citadel fall for traitor's sake._ "

Lance was shocked. Not because Georgia looked like she was possessed and spouted a prophecy. He was used to seeing her speak prophecies. Lance was shocked because it sounded like a quest. A quest was issued. He was sure it was a quest. He also had a feeling it was for him.

He was issued a quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> get it...enhance XD God I love these boys
> 
> Thanks to [huethemudluff](https://huethemudluff.tumblr.com/)for the edits and help with the prophecy,
> 
> Come follow me on tumblr [dorkofthefandom](https://dorkofthefandom.tumblr.com/)


	4. Adventure time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "-unk. Hunk," voice whispered. Whoever was shaking him awake, was so close to Hunk's face, he could feel their breath on his cheek. "Hunk, wake up." 
> 
> Hunk lazily rubbed his eyes from sleep. "Lance? What are -What time is it?" He yawned.
> 
> "Adventure time! Now get up, we need to pack. I mean you need to pack. I already finished packing before I came to wake you." 
> 
> Hunk finally got a good look of his cabin. The rest of his cabin mates were fast asleep. Seriously. What time is it? 
> 
> "THREE AM?" 
> 
> "Shhhh. You'll wake everyone up!" Lance put his index finger on his lips. "Some people are trying to sleep." 
> 
> "I was one of them!" Hunk whisper yelled. 
> 
> "We have a quest to complete and a camp to save!" Lance opened Hunk's closet. "Sleep is secondary."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who graduated high school? 
> 
> Me!! I graduated!! 
> 
> Also sorry it took so long, but here it is

It took less than an hour for the prophecy to be spread around the camp. Everyone tried to interpret the words. Who was to be sent on the quest that prophecy foretold. 

Hunk really didn't care who went on this unexpected journey. He never asked to be a demigod. He never asked to be sent to the camp. He just wanted to be alone with his machines and gadgets doing what he knew best. Being alone with his machines was difficult thing to accomplish when his best friend was Lance McClain. Out of all the campers Lance was the most hyped up about the quest. 

"Seek the one who lost their way." Lance paced around the room. 

The two friends were in the Big House where Hunk was trying to get the game console to work. Usually technology is dangerous for a demigod to use, but inside the camp borders it's safe. 

"That could mean anyone, really." Lance continued, "And any type of way if you think about it. Does the prophecy mean moral way? Or literal one? Who knows." 

"Aham," Hunk absently replied as put a screwdriver between his teeth.

"Unexpected journey of the runaway. That could possibly mean, that, uhm." Lance stopped in his pacing to look at Hunk, "Hunk what do you think. Unexpected journey of the runaway? Does that mean those who take the quest have to sneak out or what?" 

"Why do you care so much?" Hunk said as he fiddled with the wiring. 

"Because!" Lance flopped his arms, "This is my quest!" 

Hunk turned to face his best friend. Lance looked like a deer hit in the headlights. His eyes were wide and lips parted. He wanted to go on this quest. Hunk ,on the other hand, just wanted to play some Mario Kart. 

"Listen, Lance. Are you sure this was ment for you? Georgia said it infront of everybody. The quest could easily apply to who ever entered the party at the time the prophecy was issued." Hunk said, "Besides, going on a quest isn't that fantastic as it is portrayed to be."

Lance crossed his arms and pouted. Hunk knew how much Lance wanted to go on a quest. Despite not sharing views with his best friend, Hunk wanted to support him. Then again. Last person who went on a quest never came back, and Hunk didn't want anything bad to happen to his best friend.

"Lance. I'm sorry. It's just. Shiro went missing four years ago when he-" 

"SHIRO! OF COURSE!" Lance jumped excitedly, interrupting Hunk. 

"Shiro what?" 

"Shiro went missing! Seek the one who lost their way!" Lance practically bounced around the room. "We have to find Shiro!"

Lance exited the room in all his glee, probably on his way to pack for the quest.

"What about our Mario Kart?" Hunk called out. 

Few seconds later Lance came back looking like a kicked puppy. "I forgot about that. Sorry." 

"Still want to play?" Hunk said holding controllers in both hands. 

"Of course I still want to play." Lance sat next to Hunk and took one controller. 

It took two rounds for Lance to realise how to steer his car with the controls set up backwards. Hunk laughed each time Lance ran into a wall or off the road entirely. To be fair, Hunk also had difficulty steering, but not as much as Lance. Lance pushed him off the couch when Hunk chose rainbow road. 

The cabin nine was by far the coziest cabin in Hunk's totaly unbiased opinion. Having been at camp the most years, Hunk was the cabin nine's head counselor. 

Despite being a year rounder, he had the least dramatic or adventurous life outside camp. He arrived at camp when his mom got a brochure for it in the mail. Later on did Hunk found out that his dad had sent it. Hunk arrived at camp safely, with no monsters running after him, or a mythical creature pretending to be a drama teacher guiding him through the woods. He arrived in his mom's car. After saying goodbye, he never thought that's the last time he would see his mortal family, nor did he thought that he had any divine roots. 

Hunk was comfortably dreaming about a 3D printer which could print edible gourmet food, truly a mascinary from the future, when he was rudely shaken awake. 

"-unk. Hunk," voice whispered. Whoever was shaking him awake, was so close to Hunk's face, he could feel their breath on his cheek. "Hunk, wake up." 

The voice sounded melodic like sirens. The command was imposible to ignore. Hunk opened his eyes to be greeted by Lance's grinning face. It wasn't unusual for Lance to come by cabin nine. 

Hunk lazily rubbed his eyes from sleep. "Lance? What are -What time is it?" He yawned.

"Adventure time! C'mon grab your friends, we're going to very distant lands." Lance sang softly, "Now get up, we need to pack. I mean you need to pack. I already finished packing before I came to wake you." 

Hunk finally got a good look of his cabin. The rest of his cabin mates were fast asleep. Seriously. What time is it? 

Lance started quietly humming Adventure Time theme song, as he searched for Hunk's bag. Hunk took out his alarm clock to check the time. Quarter till three. 

"THREE AM?" 

"Shhhh. You'll wake everyone up!" Lance put his index finger on his lips. "Some people are trying to sleep." 

"I was one of them!" Hunk whisper yelled. 

"We have a quest to complete and a camp to save!" Lance opened Hunk's closet. "Sleep is secondary." 

There was no arguing with Lance. Hunk deeply sighed and got out of bed to pack. The only thing he truly needed was his tool belt. Lance threw a shirt, some pants and a vest for Hunk to dress in. He couldn't really tell what colour it was, but the shirt and vest both looked different shades of green. Hunk blindly had faith in Lance that he had picked the colours that complimented each other. He smiled at his pun. 

Hunk quickly got dressed. He found his fingerless gloves and combat boots under the bed.

"Hey, have you seen my red bandana?" Hunk asked.

Lance rummaged a little in the closet and pulled something out. It was a bandana, but Hunk wasn't sure if it was the red one he'd ask for. The colour looked like a rotten green leaf. 

"This is your orange one." Lance said. "It will look better with what I picked out." 

"Oh. Okay." Hunk nodded and took the bandana from Lance. 

Once Hunk was fully dressed, the two boys continued packing the essential supplies for the upcoming journey.

"Have you packed bandages?"

"Yes."

"Toothbrush?"

"Uhm. Let me check. Yes. It's there."

"Your ADHD meds?" 

"Yes, mum," Lance puffed.

"I only ask because I care." Hunk said.

"Aaand I think we're ready!" Lance announced with pride. 

The two boys barely passed the camp border before Hunk started complaining about Lance's lack of planning. Lance had no idea how the two would even track Shiro. Not to even mention the rule of three they were breaking. 

Everything comes in three. Three oldest gods. Three fates. Three tasks. Three is the lucky number, and quests are almost always issued in three. Three is the most balanced number. The fact that Lance and Hunk were a duo, made Hunk a bit uneasy about their chances of survival.

"Relax Hunk. When we find Shiro we'll make a trio." Lance tried to reassure him. "Hey! That rhymed!" 

"Maybe you should write prophecies." 

"Maybe I should. Maybe I will." 

Stepping into the mortal world scared Hunk. He didn't have a lot of issues while growing up. His mom remarried when he was still just a toddler, so he grew up with two amazing and loving parents. Hunk's demigod scent was barely noticeable, until he was around ten years old. On his eleventh birthday, his mom received a mail for Hunk. It had a card inside it that said "For my big small man. Happy birthday, your Dad." The present he received from his dad was the very same tool belt he wears around his waist in the present. 

The signature was the only thing that confused Hunk. He never had a dad. He grew up with his mom Helen, and mama Charlie. Helen didn't let Hunk use the tool belt at first. As if Hunk could hurt himself by using it. Hunk was very confused, and that's when his scent began to grow more powerful. 

In few weeks, after leaving Hunk out of important conversation, did his moms agree to sent him to the camp. They didn't tell him what kind of camp it was, but it was clear they didn't truly wanted to get rid of him. He was their baby boy after all. Hunk missed his moms, but he knew that his scent is far too strong to live in the mortal world. He didn't want his moms, who were both mortal, to be exposed to his messed up mythological family tree. 

In camp, Hunk didn't make a lot of friends. One friend was enough. Lance was enough. Hunk grew attached to Lance after the jedi mind trick son of Aphrodite pulled. Huk had been intentionally sabotaging his own inventions that that annoying kid asked for to be built. He'd hoped that if he somehow made bad gadgets the kid would stop asking him to make them. He'd also hoped that the kid would somehow injure themselves on the faulty gadget. Hunk didn't expect Lance Skywalker to order the kid to take a cold swim in the lake. 

Around eight in the morning two demigod teenagers grew hungry. Not wanting to skip the most important meal of the day Hunk suggest they should stop and eat. Lance pointed to a cozy looking diner. 

"Let's go there!" 

"There's no need," Hunk said as he opened his tool box. All he had to do was imagine a sandwich in it, and pull it out. "I got this."

Truth be told, Hunk didn't trust anything from a mortal world. He heard so many horror stories about cozy looking diners that turned out to be a trap for questing demigods. They were already breaking the rule of three, and Hunk didn't want to tempt fates. 

"Hunk, come on!" Lance whined, "We're finally in civilisation! We can walk in a normal looking mortal diner, and have breakfast as two normal mortal teenagers." 

"For a mortal diner, you need mortal money." Hunk argued. "Do you have mortal money? Because I don't." 

Lance grinned and from his backpack pulled out a grey wallet. Inside was a credit card. "My dad had opened an account for me when I turned ten. Never had a chance to use it." Lance explained.

"This still feels like we're going straight into a trap." Hunk whined as the boys entered the diner. 

A bell sounded once they opened the door, and Hunk could feel everyone's eyes on them. He tried to look smaller. Non threatening. Like any insignificant mortal teenager. Lance on the other hand acted as if this diner is where he belonged. As if he always had breakfast in places like this.

The moment they took a seat at one of the booths a waitress came in to take their orders. Hunk had a feeling like he was still being watched. To avoid being suspicious he heavily focused on the menu in front of him. 

Paranoia over came him, so as soon as he ordered an omelet and orange juice, he searched the diner for the person who was staring at them. Thankfully there weren't a lot of people at the diner, so he didn't have hard time spotting the person. He was surprised by how young she looked. At least Hunk thought she was a girl. She had short choppy hair, as if she cut it herself, and her glasses were half her face. She didn't look threatening, since she was short, but you could never tell with monsters. She could still be any kind of monster. Hunk could tell that she could tell Lance's crossbow was in fact a crossbow, and not whatever mortals saw when they looked into the Mist.

"We're being watched." 

Lance glanced over at the girl, but as soon as he looked over the girl looked away. She picked up a menu and was reading it upside down. Hunk narrowed his eyes. Little girl wasn't subtle about her spying. 

"You're being paranoid." Lance said before he took a bite of his pancake. "So do you remember where Nemean Lion was?" 

"It's been four years. He would have already killed it by now. Or it had killed him?" 

"No way! Shiro wouldn't die at the beginning of his quest. No. But we start at his start, and try to track his steps from there." 

Lance sounded logical. Hunk knew Lance was smart, but he often forgot how smart his best friend was because of some stupid impulsive things he done. Like going on a quest at three in the morning. Hunk pulled out a map from his tool belt to check point where they should go for their quest. Lance called back the waitress to pay for their food once they were finished. 

Hunk kept an eye on the girl who was watching them while they ate. She had a three bags with her, and her laptop was opened. It was unlikely she was a demigod, since technology has empliphying the devine scent and attracting monsters. For demigod to use a technology, outside camp, was like putting a huge target around their chest and back. The girl was using her laptop non stop during breakfast. Yet Hunk felt strange air around her. As if she had ties with mythological world. Hunk felt a little bit relieved that the girl was busy with her laptop when Lance and he left the diner. It was almost as if she hadn't even paid attention to them leaving. Maybe Lance was right about him being paranoid. 

They weren't that far from the diner when Hunk's paranoia kicked in again. He turned around and found that same girl from the diner following them. All her bags slowed her down, but she was catching up to them. She had a backpack strapped on her back that looked as if it weighted more than her. A messanger bag was strapped over her shoulder and around her neck she had a phone case. 

"We're being followed." Hunk quietly said. 

Lance raised his eyebrows, and Hunk pointed with his thumb over his shoulder. Lance looked back before nodding at Hunk. With his eyes he pointed to an alleyway. A silent sign that conveyed the message "This way!" 

Hunk followed Lance to the alleyway. Lance then pulled Hunk behind a dumpster. 

"What-" 

"Shhh!" Lance pressed his index finger to his lips. 

It wasn't long before the girl from the diner came to the alleyway. She looked held onto her bags. She stayed close to the walls, and it looked as she was sneaking in the shadows. Lance waited until she passed the dumpster. 

"Why are you following us?" Lance stepped out from his hidding spot. 

He pointed a small dagger at her. Not his usual weapon. The girl was startled by Lance she had jumped backwards and dropped her bag. She blankly stared at the dagger. Lance repeated his question when the girl didn't answer.

"Put your weapon down first," the girl demanded.

"Are you a monster?" Hunk asked. 

"I-. No. I'm not a monster." 

"That's something a monster would say." 

"You haven't answered my question," Lance said still pointing his dagger. 

"Well I am not a monster. So put your weapon down!" 

"If you are not a monster, then who are you?" Lance finally put down his dagger.

"I'm -, " The girl hesitated, "a demigod like you two." 

"If you're a demigod why were you using technology back at the diner?" Lance crossed his arms. "Do you have a death wish?" 

The girl stepped back, "No. I-."

"I don't think it's smart for us to stay here." Hunk said turning around to check if there were being followed by more monsters. Internet, phones were dangerous for demigods because they empliphy demigod's scent and attrack monsters to said demigod.

"I can use technology without targeting myself," the girl said. 

"How?" Hunk asked. He avoided going back to the mortal world only because it was dangerous inventing. He was terrified to make himself a target for doing what he loved. 

"I-I'm a child of a demigod. I'm a descendent. My blood is more mortal than divine." the girl explained. 

"Why were you following us?" Hunk asked.

"I'm looking for someone." 

"So are we!" Lance said completely dropping that this girl could be an enemy. "I'm Lance, and this is my friend Hunk." 

"Pidge," the girl said.

"Pidge?" Hunk repeated.

"My name. Pidge." 

Lance turned to Hunk. "We are all looking for someone. We could team up with him?" 

"I don't know-," Hunk was about to say how he wasn't sure if it was smart for them to add a stranger to their quest, but Lance's usage of male pronouns threw him off. He? Who is Lance talking about.

Pidge shrunk, if that was even possible. 

"That way he could fill out the rule of the three." Lance's voice sounded comforting and safe. 

Pidge opened her mouth but quickly closed it. His mouth? Hunk was still hung up on Lance's usage of male pronouns for Pidge. 

"Pidge? What do you say?" Lance asked.

"Who are you looking for?" Pidge said, "We are probably looking for different people." 

As Lance was explaining their quest Pidge cleched her fists and stood firm as if she was in an army. 

"Actually it's they/them." Pidge said before losing confidence, "My pronouns are they/them." 

Both Hunk and Lance stared a second too long. Hunk felt awkward for assuming Pidge was a girl. Pidge looked as they were about to throw up. 

"Sorry for assuming." Lance apologised quickly. 

"It's fine. I'm uhm, used to it." Pidge said. "But if I am joining you, you should know how to refer to me." 

"So you're in?" 

"I'm in." Pidge noded.

Pidge then explained how they made a tracking beacon that detects mythological presence. Their glasses were also designed to see through the mist. All the data they collected from their search was logged in their laptop. Hunk was fascinated with everything Pidge showed them. When Lance found out that despite their technical preparedness Pidge didn't have a weapon, he gave them the dagger he used to point at them.


	5. The quest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Unexpected journey of the runaway
> 
> Seek the one who lost their way
> 
> Reuniting the blood upon chances they'll take 
> 
> Unknowing bonds made that will not break 
> 
> Through it all, beware the smile that's fake
> 
> Lest the citadel fall for traitor's sake.
> 
> "The one who lost their way is our runaway." Allura analyzed, “we need to send this quest to find Pidge, and bring them back." 
> 
> "Children of Mercury, Vulcan and Mars?" Someone asked suspiciously, “this mission is set to fail from the start.” 
> 
> "I say we let them,” another senate member said.
> 
> Keith, being the leader of the quest, was issued the golden eagle that could track a demigod’s scent.
> 
> "Where to, Kogane?" Nyma asked once they officially crossed the camp borders.
> 
> "Pidge is a descendent, so they’ll be harder to track,” Rolo said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be posted in early July, but...my friend's birthday is today so I decided to post 2 chapters as a birthday gift

After four years at Camp Jupiter, it still didn't feel like home. How could one make himself feel at home in an army? Keith liked that he was a good soldier, and nothing more. He was glad he wasn't in a leadership role. The Senate meeting was most boring thing he’d ever had to sit through. 

He was chosen by Allura herself for a quest. Some kid disappeared from camp. 

"They ran away!" Someone argued, “let them kill themselves outside." 

"We can't just let them go, they are to be brought back and charged for treason,” Zarkon said. 

"Is _everyone_ ignoring Haggar's prophecy?" Allura said. 

Everyone looked uncomfortable at the mention of the augur's prediction. The camp was in danger. 

_Unexpected journey of the runaway_

_Seek the one who lost their way_

_Reuniting the blood upon chances they'll take_

_Unknowing bonds made that will not break_

_Through it all, beware the smile that's fake_

_Lest the citadel fall for traitor's sake._

"The one who lost their way is our runaway." Allura analyzed, “we need to send this quest to find Pidge, and bring them back." 

"But they are also a traitor. We can't send a search party. The camp will be in danger because of their betrayal!" 

Keith tuned out most of the meeting, because it all came around. A few days ago a camper went missing, and as soon as people found out who had run away Haggar issued a prophecy. All that was certain was that the camp was in trouble. Keith could sense it, even if it hadn’t been prophesied. Four years passed since there was a vote for preators. Keith had no interest in the vote. He wasn't power hungry like other campers, so he didn't monitor the political situation closely. 

It was a while before someone introduced him into the discussion. If it wasn't for Rolo kicking him under the table, Keith would have missed it completely. 

"-this team."

"Children of Mercury, Vulcan and Mars?" Someone asked suspiciously, “this mission is set to fail from the start.” 

"I say we let them,” another senate member said. 

"We can't send a _child of Vulcan_ to retrieve a _descendent of Vulcan_!" One argued, “conflict of interests!"

Rolo clenched his fists. Keith was already under close observation because of his short temper. He couldn't speak unless spoken to, or he wouldn't be sent out on the quest. Allura had asked this of him as a personal favour. 

Nyma was one to raise her voice. 

“At least we volunteered for this quest. None of you would step a foot outside the camp borders." 

"And if someone doesn't go, the camp will surely fall." Allura nodded, “this way we can at least control the prophecy." 

Then the meeting was over, and it was decided that Keith should lead the team to find Pidge and bring them back for a trial. Since coming to  camp, the only thing he acquired was a sword. For the quest he only packed a small backpack filled with ambrosia nectar, unicorn drought and bandages. It took him a minute to pack. 

Keith thought as he stood at the edge of the camp's border awaiting his team members. 

Nyma was the girl everyone in the cohort wanted either to be or to date. She was tall, blond and could easily beat you up. Keith just never got the memo why everyone thought she was the it girl. Sure she was strong and could be intimidating at times, but he never understood the appeal of dating her. Looking at her now, Keith couldn't help but wonder what was so great about her. What made guys and girls fall at her feet. She and Rolo were the only ones who volunteered to go out on this quest. 

Rolo, on the contrast to Nyma, wasn't a fighter. He was lanky compared to other children of Vulcan. 

Nyma had a messenger bag hung over her shoulder, and Rolo was carrying full camping gear strapped on his back. 

"Where to, Kogane?" Nyma asked once they officially crossed the camp borders.

"Pidge is a descendent, so they’ll be harder to track,” Rolo said.

 "That little-“ Nyma eyed Keith, “-Yi Wanyong can't be that far."

Keith glanced at Nyma. He didn't understand who she was referencing to, but the way she said the name painted a really good picture of how she felt about Pidge. It was filled with anger and betrayal. Keith assumed that Nyma, who considered the Camp as her family, wanted to bring Pidge to stand before the Senate. They’d get prosecuted for their actions.

Keith, being the leader of the quest, was issued the golden eagle that could track a demigod’s scent. Since Pidge was a descendent, their demigod scent wasn't as strong as a regular demigod's, so the eagle had trouble picking it up. All the team could do was follow the golden eagle that often came down from the sky. 

The teens spent a night in a motel. Thankfully, it was owned by a retired camper, so they saved some money. Nyma raced to the bathroom as soon as they entered their room. Rolo sat on the bed and turned on the TV. Keith listened to the news as he scanned a map, hoping someone would mention Pidge and make their search a lot easier. There were no mentions of anything that could be demigod related. Nyma exited the bathroom wrapped in a towel.

"I forgot something," she said.

Keith rolled his eyes as Nyma took her bag and retreated back into the bathroom. 

"Don't use up all the hot water!" Rolo called out. 

Nyma called back, but the water muffled her words.

After her shower Nyma rejoined the boys. Her hair was in a towel and she wore a tshirt and pyjama pants.

"The bathroom is all yours,” she said as she threw her bag on one of the beds. 

As soon as she stepped foot out of the bathroom, Rolo went in. Rolo screamed when the water started running again. 

"Any clues in the media?" Nyma asked.

"No,” Keith said. "I knew tracking a descendent wouldn't be easy, but this is almost impossible." 

Nyma twirled her necklace between her fingers. Keith never really paid attention to it before, he was sure she didn't have it at camp. If she did, she hadn't worn it. Now that he got a better look, he saw that she wore a talisman around her neck. The talisman had some asian symbol on it that got Keith curious.

"What's that?" 

Nyma looked down at her talisman. "This?" 

Keith nodded. 

"My mom gave it to me. It's called Pujok, it's for good luck,” she said.

Rolo opened the door from the bathroom. He was dripping wet and wore a towel around his waist. He stared daggers at Nyma. 

Nyma smirked and put her talisman inside her shirt. "You're welcome, by the way." 

"The water was freezing!" He pointed at her. "Can you think about anyone besides yourself for one second?"

"Well, do you still have a problem down under?" 

Keith snorted. He looked up at flustered Rolo, who grabbed his towel to make sure that it was still covering his privates. Rolo stood there for few seconds before going back in the bathroom to get dressed.

After everyone had their shower, the team talked about what to do once they found Pidge. How to approach them, how to trap them, and most importantly, how to get them back.

A week passed by and the team wasn't even close to finding Pidge. 

The eagle flew down after half a day in the sky. Everyone was tired and hungry. Nyma became more moody each time Keith called for a break. Rolo pointed to a hot dog stand. 

"How about we grab a bite here?" 

"Whatever." Nyma crossed her arms.

Keith rummaged through his pockets to find the wallet that the Senate gave him with their budget. He counted the money. They were on the streets for far longer than they'd expected they would be, and the money was running short. They barely had enough for this meal.

Before he got the chance to warn his teammates about the shortage of money, Nyma and Rolo already ordered their hot dogs. Keith calculated the cost in his head, before he ordered for himself. He wasn't sure how he would pay for the next meal. The three teens sat on a park bench and ate their wieners. 

"We can't sit around here for long,” Keith informed his team once they were all done eating. He was already on his feet, ready to continue the quest.

Nyma groaned.

"What?" Keith turned to her.

"I should have expected the camp's most perfect soldier would follow every order given by the Senate." 

Keith furrowed his brows. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Now?" Rolo asked quietly and Nyma nodded.

"What exactly did Pidge do to be hunted down?" Nyma stood up. She was head taller than Keith, but only now did Keith feel so small compared to her. She crossed her arms and looked down at Keith. Her eyes felt colder than ice, and sharper than imperial gold sword Keith had strapped around his waist. 

"The camp is tearing itself apart from inside. All Pidge did was run away before the camp fell apart completely. If you were smart you would have done the same,” Nyma said, after an awkward pause where Keith tried to find an answer. 

"So you volunteered for this quest to run away too,” Keith realised. 

"We don't want golden eagles flying over our heads,” Rolo said. 

"Have you be sabotaging our eagle?" Keith asked. 

"No. Pidge is a _descendent_ so the scent is much weaker than ours. You know, real demigods." Rolo finally stood up.

It was two against one. Keith prepared himself to grab for his sword. 

"We are _not_ going to fight you,” Nyma said, “we want to give you a way out. Out of camp before it turns to ruins." 

Keith couldn't let the camp fall. Sure he never felt as if the camp was his home, but it was safe. It was a place where he didn't have to worry about meals. He didn't have to worry about monsters. It wasn't home, but it was something close to it. 

"We've been chasing our tails for a week now. We want out,” Rolo said. 

"Fine! Go! I can find Pidge by myself." 

Rolo and Nyma picked up their bags and turned away from Keith. Leaving him alone. Nyma looked back.  
"If you had known where you're from maybe you wouldn't be so keen to stay where the leaders are dictators, Kogane."

Then the two were gone. Nyma's words didn't completely register with Keith. Knew where he was from. Keith barely knew where he was going. He felt like he was drifting in space. He was from no where, existing somewhere, trying to get to anywhere.

Keith let the eagle fly. He will find Pidge. He will save the camp from traitors like Nyma and Rolo. Not for himself, but for anyone who considers the camp a safe place. A home. 

Roughly a week after he split with his team, he saw the eagle circle around an alley. He found something. Keith checked the alley out, carefully so he wouldn't be spotted. 

In the alley, he saw Pidge with two boys around Keith’s age. Pidge wore purple tshirt. The same tshirt Keith wore. The boys next to Pidge wore orange tshirts. One boy was tall and lanky, and the other was tall and buff. Tall and lanky was sitting on the ground, watching the sky. The buff boy squatted next to Pidge and the two seemed to be tinkering with something sitting between them. Keith couldn't tell if Pidge was in trouble or not, but since they were still wearing camp Jupiter's shirt Keith assumed they had been kidnapped. 

_Through it all, beware the smile that's fake_

_Lest the citadel fall for traitor's sake._

The prophecy could have been about those two boys tricking Pidge into betraying the camp. 

Not bothering to think any more, Keith rushed into the alley, holding his sword ready for battle. He got close enough to point his sword at lanky boy's throat. Lanky boy had pulled out a crossbow and it was pointed towards Keith. Pidge looked up from what they were doing. 

" _You!_ ” The Lanky boy said, as if the he recognized Keith from someplace.

"What are you doing here?" Pidge asked Keith in shock.

"Do you know him?" Buff boy asked Pidge. 

"Yes, his name is Keith,” Lanky boy said, " _Keith Kogane_." 

If the boy wasn't pointing a weapon at Keith, he would have allowed himself to let his guard down. 

"How do _you_ know that?" Pidge asked.


	6. I told you that food fight will be important

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Do you know him?" Hunk asked. 
> 
> "Yes, his name is Keith. Keith Kogane." Lance noticed Keith improved his stance, pulling his guard up once Lance said his full name. 
> 
> "Don't you remember me?" Lance said.
> 
> "Should I?" Keith asked. If Lance hadn't given his dagger to Pidge, he would have pulled it out. 
> 
> "We went to school together!" Lance pushed Hunk's hand away. "You almost got me suspended!" 
> 
> "Oh, I remember you. You are that kid that hit on the math teacher." 
> 
> Hunk snorted, "You hit on a math teacher?" 
> 
> "It was a slip up! The pick up line- I accidentally- She. No, that's not important!"

"Do you know him?" Hunk asked.

"Yes,” Lance said, “his name is Keith. Keith Kogane." Lance noticed Keith improved his stance, putting his guard up once Lance said his full name.

"How do _you_ know that?" Pidge asked.

"Why don't you tell them, _Keith_?” Lance remarked.

"I'm only here to bring Pidge back to camp,” Keith said, ignoring Lance's request. That made Lance want to pull his trigger. How dare Keith ignore Lance after what had happened?

"Put your weapons down!" Pidge shouted, "BOTH OF YOU!"

Lance slowly turned his focus to Pidge.

"I want to know why the camp sent you to find me,” they said, glaring at Keith.

Keith slowly took back his sword, and Lance did the same. Both glared at each other, still holding onto their weapons as if they were going to need them soon.

"Why did the Senate send you?" Pidge asked again.

Keith told them about some ‘Haggar’ and a prophecy that sounded exactly like the one Georgia issued to Lance. When he pointed it out, Keith gave him a dirty look, so Lance sent him even dirtier look. That face. Those almost purple grey eyes. Lance could never forget those cold grey eyes. Keith's presence brought back the flood of memories from his last year of school.

Lance enjoyed his school. He wasn't the most popular kid there, but he wasn't one of those kids people picked on. Lance was liked, by his peers and teachers alike. He had good grades, despite his hyperactivity and lack of focus. He was in drama club and he even planned to join cheerleading team next time they were looking for new recruits. Lance didn't care if he did stuff that wasn’t considered masculine. He knew exactly what to say to anyone who seemed to have a problem with him being a boy who auditioned for every role in the school play.

Lunch was Lance's favourite time of day. He got to see most of his drama club friends outside the theatre department. He always smiled at the lunch lady, like he always did.

On the fateful day, the lunch lady had given him the last slice of pizza and a chocolate pudding cup for dessert. Before he got a chance to reach his seat, Keith Kogane had started another fight. Everyone at school knew of the orphaned boy.

Keith and Lance shared two classes. Keith was praised by the teachers for being the best student, when they considered only the boy's grades. Lance took an offense to that, since he saw Keith being terrible at Spanish.

Lance rolled his eyes as he walked passed Keith, who had grabbed another boy by the collar and pulled him closer. Keith was clutching his free hand into a fist. It looked as if Keith was going to hit the poor boy right in a jaw, and Lance wanted to be far away from that spot when the fight started. What Lance didn't expect was that Keith would grab someone's lunch and smash it against the boy's face. Lance stood frozen watching the chain of events unfold. The boy who Keith had assaulted with a lunch tray was now covered in mashed potato and mystery meat.

Kids around them oohed. A friend of potato faced boy laughed as potato face dumped pudding on Keith's hair. Another kid screamed food fight. Then everyone stood up and started throwing their food around. Lance, on the other hand, just wanted to get to his table and eat pizza.

His wish was not fulfilled, as he quickly became a casualty in the food war. He was hit by something gooey. He could feel the gooey mush dripping down on the back of his head. He slowly turned to see Keith Kogane, the praised student, with a half empty disposable plate of potato salad.

"Sorry," Keith Kogane, the boy with almost purple eyes, said in passing.

Keith Kogane, the school's most praised mathematician, threw the rest of the potato salad in Lance's direction. This time it hit the intended target, a boy who kept yelling insults.

Lance decided to make Keith sorry.

Lance placed his tray on the nearest table, and opened his pudding cup. He scooped the pudding and turned towards his target. Keith would be sorry. Lance launched his pudding just as Keith turned around. Good news, the chocolate pudding hit Keith right in the nose. Bad news, a teacher saw it.

Lance waited in the hall with rest of the kids who had participated in the food fight. The teacher, Mr. Iverson, told them all to wait, and that they should all consider themselves expelled. Something about a zero tolerance policy. To be completely honest, Lance didn't pay that much attention. He just knew he was in trouble, he had greasy hair filled with potato salad, and all because of Keith Kogane.

The school called their parents, and Lance was squirming in his chair, dreading who was coming to get him. A few parents showed up and scolded their children. One by one, the parents were getting called in to the principal's office. Even Keith's foster mom showed up. Lance was staring at the door where the parents were coming in, holding his breath, waiting to see who the school called for him.

His aunt came, after what seemed like forever. Aunt Silvia was a short and chubby woman. She looked like a real mom, and to a twelve year old Lance she was one.

"Lance, what’s happened now?" Silvia asked when she saw her nephew.

Lance didn't get to explain before the two were called into the office. Aunt Silvia listened to professor Iverson's side of the story. Principal Montgomery explained what disciplinary actions the school placed on students that were participating in the food fight.

"The boy that started the food fight is facing expulsion, while rest of the students who threw food at each other are only going to be suspended for two weeks,” Montgomery said.

"Suspended?" Lance repeated. He couldn’t get suspended. “No, no, no. No! I didn't. I shouldn't. Listen. Mrs- Principal Montgomery. Can we talk this over?" Lance leaned in and folded his arms on the principal's desk.

Principal Montgomery raised her eyebrow, so Lance continued.

"The rehearsals for the school play are starting this week. I can't miss that. You and I both know that this school could use some extra money, right?"

"Right…” Principal Montgomery nodded.

"The tickets for the play will sell a lot faster if the leading man actually knows what he’s doing. And how will I know what I’m doing if I miss the first two weeks of rehearsals?"

Lance hoped Montgomery was going to spare him because of the theatre club, but for all he knew Montgomery couldn't care less about the arts departments, like every other school faculty.

"You can't afford to suspend me. It's just not right."

"The school still has to hold every student accountable for their actions,” Montgomery said.

"How about detention instead of suspension?" Aunt Silvia jumped in.

Lance snapped his head around to look at his aunt like she was a crazy woman. Detention? Seriously? Lance was hoping to walk away from this whole ordeal with no disciplinary action against him.

"Sounds reasonable enough?" She shrugged.

Montgomery crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. She was nodding, and Lance held his breath, hoping he got through to the principal.

"Lance will have to serve a two week detention."

"One week,” Lance said.

" _One_ week of detention for his part in the food fight,” Montgomery said as if Lance never interrupted him, “but he can't pull stuff like this again."

"He won’t,” aunt Silvia promised.

"I won’t,” Lance agreed, “and thank you!"

Once he was home, Lance had to wash his hair four times to get the grease out.

The following week of his detention was the worst week of his life. It was a shame that he never saw Keith Kogane again. He made plans during his time in detention on how to get back at Keith. Since the other boy was expelled, all of Lance's plans were a failure from the start.

Five years after the food fight here Keith was, in Lance's trajectory, holding a sword. Lance could recognize those eyes anywhere. He also noticed that Keith grew out his hair, and that it could easily pass as a mullet.

Hunk realized the three of them had spent almost two hours in the alley, and decided to move. Keith refused to leave Pidge's side, so he was added to the quest despite Lance's protests and pouts.

"Don't you remember me?" Lance said.

"Should I?" Keith asked. If Lance hadn't given his dagger to Pidge, he would have pulled it out.

"Lance?" Hunk placed a hand on Lance's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

“Keith and I went to school together!" Lance pushed Hunk's hand away. He turned towards Keith. “You almost got me suspended!"

"Oh, I remember you. You’re the kid that hit on the math teacher."

Hunk snorted. "You hit on a math teacher?"

"It was a slip up! The pick up line- I accidentally- she- that's not important!" Lance jabbed a finger at Keith, " _He_  threw a potato salad at me! I had to wear a beanie for two weeks because of the grease!"

"Don't tell me. You're a son of Venus."

"Aphrodite!"

"Right,” Keith nodded, "Greek camp."

"Who's your godly parent? God Who Makes Bad Hair Decisions?" Lance crossed his arms.

"God of war." Keith showed his tattoo of two spears crossed together. Letters SPQR were tattooed under the spears, and four lines were beneath it all, like someone was counting how many years they stayed in prison.

"If your dad is Mars, does that make you a Martian?" Hunk asked.

Pidge guided them all to a cheap motel that looked like a place where someone would stash a dead body. Lance paid for his and Hunk's separate room from Pidge and Keith. Hunk went out to buy more snacks for the road, leaving Lance to think.

Lance felt heaviness in his chest. Keith didn't only bring memories of the food fight. Lance started thinking about his family he hadn't seen in years.

Twelve year old Lance entered the kitchen. His cousins were already making a mess of it, each demanding something different for their breakfast.

Lance stayed with his aunt and uncle while his dad was working on a cruise ship as a photographer. Lance’s uncle, his dad's brother, had four children of his own. Two were older than Lance, and two were younger. Lance was treated both like a middle child and an only child, which kinda made him crave attention and expect it.

"Mamma, Gloria took my bracelet!" Anna Maria, the oldest McClain child, yelled over the noise in the kitchen.

Gloria screamed as Anna Maria tried to get her bracelet back. She cried out to aunt Silvia in Spanish, insisting that Anna Maria was lying.

Marco and David fought over who drank all the milk before the other could pour it in their cereal. They argued in a combination of English and Spanish. Lance tried to navigate through the chaos, hoping that there was at least some peanut butter left in the fridge. Aunt Silvia drank her coffee in the entrance of the kitchen. If Lance ignored the coffee she was drinking, he could have guessed she was ready to go back to bed. Her hair was the definition of a bed head. Curlers were hanging loosely from her mane. She looked as if she was barely keeping her eyes open.

"David. No. Marco, just grab a piece of toast. And I think we still have some apple juice."

“Actually, I drank it all,” Lance said, “there’s some orange juice left, though.”

Silvia nodded weakly as she sipped her coffee. Marco resentfully pushed back his bowl of dry cereal and went to make himself toast. David, the youngest McClain child, smirked as he ate a spoonful of his cereal.

"Mamma! Tell Gloria to give me back my bracelet!" Anna Maria pointed at her younger sister as she looked directly at her mother. Lance found enough peanut butter for one slice of bread. He would have to make do.

Aunt Silvia placed down her cup on the table and crouched to meet her youngest daughter's eyes. In Spanish, Silvia asked why she wouldn't give back the bracelet. Since David refused to learn Spanish, Silvia hoped if she talked to her younger children in Spanish that they would at least understand it.

Lance loved Spanish. It was more passionate than English. He could express more emotion in his words in Spanish than English. Gloria clutched tightly to her wrist, not letting go of the stolen bracelet. Silvia deeply sighed and took a seat at the table.

"MAMMA!" Anna Maria stomped her foot. She accused her mother of playing favourites.

"What do you want me to do?" Aunt Silvia asked, stirring her coffee. "Saw through her arm? Anna Maria, you are 15 now. Act like it."

"Lance?" Anna Maria turned to her cousin. Lance choked on his peanut butter sandwich. "Lance! Do something!"

Lance was the only one who could get Gloria to do stuff she would normally object to doing. If Gloria didn't want to eat her vegetables, a few words from Lance and her plate would be clean. If she didn't want to go to bed, Lance would get her to fall asleep. However, the last thing he wanted was to be dragged in the middle of a sibling fight and pick a side of who to help.

"What?" He asked with his mouth full of peanut butter, making Anna Maria gag.

It was a normal morning at McClain household.

During the weekends uncle Ed slept in, and left aunt Silvia to deal with the children. After the kids had their breakfast, the younger ones ran to watch cartoons. Lance went to check the internet connection. Usually uncle Ed would disconnect the internet, insisting it was safer, but without internet Lance didn't have a connection to his dad. Thankfully, Lance learned how to connect the computer to the internet, but he had to be sneaky about it.

Lance woke up to Pidge banging at his and Hunk’s door, saying that it was time to head out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as a birthday gift for my friend 2 chapters at once!!
> 
> Thanks to[huethemudluff](https://huethemudluff.tumblr.com/) on tumblr for editing for editing;
> 
> Follow me on [dorkofthefandom](https://dorkofthefandom.tumblr.com/)
> 
> dont get used to this....i am not that fast at writing...plus i just realised i have few other projects i am working on


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